Pioneer Press ran into Chicagoan Mike Saint John Sept. 16 at the Wilmette Linden Avenue CTA station. He was heading off to a high school English tutoring assignment, but he took time to talk about his favorite flavor of ice cream, his favorite superhero and where he’d go if he could travel in time.
If you could live anywhere in the world, where would you go?
I’d say Valencia, Spain. They have great paella, great beaches, the people are great and the language is beautiful.
Do you have a favorite superhero?
Out of all the superheroes, I think I’d pick Spider-Man. He essentially flies, he swings from webs off buildings and, best of all, he has all the quips and great comebacks when he fights villains.
Do you have a favorite cause or charity that you’d like people to know about?
Open Heart Magic (www.openheartmagic.org). It’s a charity that I’m trying to become part of. They go to Chicago hospitals, to cardiac and intensive care and oncology wards, and they do bedside magic. I love magic, (and) grew up performing it, and I’m trying to get back into it.
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If you could time travel, where would you go, and whom would you like to meet?
Since we’re talking about magic, I would travel back to New York around the time of (Harry) Houdini. Being able to watching him hanging upside-down in straight jacket off a skyscraper – being in the crowd, watching him escape – just to see him in the flesh would be amazing.
Do you have a pet?
I do, or rather my girlfriend has a pet. It’s a very large calico cat named Queso. Queso weighs easily 18 pounds, so he’s pretty big.
What’s the best advice you ever got from a parent or a teacher?
When I was in high school, I had some good advice from a teacher. I was all tangled up with where to go to college because I wanted to keep on writing. It’s what I love best, and I didn’t know where to go to college to be able to do that. My teacher said, “Wherever you go, you’re going to write, so don’t worry about where to go.”
What’s the last book you finished?
“Broken Monsters” by Lauren Beukes. She a South African writer who has started writing about American cities. “Broken Monsters” is about Detroit, and an evil spirit that resides in some of its residents.
Finally, when it comes to ice cream are you a vanilla, chocolate or strawberry fan?
I’ve become a vanilla fan as I grew older. I used to be the guy who liked all the weird flavors, but now I think that vanilla is solid and satisfying. A vanilla malt is great.
– Kathy Routliffe, Pioneer Press
Shout Out is a weekly feature in which we get to know and introduce our readers to their fellow community members and local visitors throughout suburban Chicago. Check out more online at ChicagoTribune.com/ShoutOut.